15th Grantmakers East Forum

The 15th annual Grantmakers East Forum (GEF) was held 25-27 October in Tbilisi, Georgia. Hosted by the Eurasia Partnership Foundation, its title was Facing the Extremes. Plenary sessions focused on topics such as the Rise of Extremism, Energy – People’s Commodity or Government’s Power Tool?, and the Culture of Militarism, while a fourth, Disruption and Positive Deviants, explored whether extremes are inherently negative or whether they might inspire innovation.

In addition, the parallel, so-called auction sessions, proposed and selected by participating organizations, explored themes under the headings Think more than Tanks, Civil Society as a Peace Building Actor in the South Caucasus, Control over Women’s Bodies: National Policies or Extremism? and Topography of Terror.    

The GEF Steering Committee had commissioned a special edition of Liberali, a socio-political magazine which offers critical reporting and analysis on issues ranging from politics to human rights. A special edition combining a selection of articles from past and present issues of the magazine and contributions from the GEF 2010 plenary speakers helped to highlight ongoing political and social debates in Georgia.  

In addition, the GEF organizers had to deal with one or two ‘extremes’ themselves during the GEF 2010 preparations. The most significant was the refusal by the Georgian authorities to let Kosovar participants into the country as Georgia does not recognize the state of Kosovo.

Despite the challenges, GEF 2010 was a great success. All plenary sessions offered interesting discussions, and participants benefited from networking with their colleagues in the warm and beautiful setting of Tbilisi. Local NGOs led visits that showcased civil society organizations’ work in both rural Georgia and Tbilisi, while the social events featured traditional Georgian food and entertainment.  

Event 15th Grantmakers East Forum
Date 25-27 October 2010
Location Tbilisi, Georgia
Organizer European Foundation Centre

For more information
www.gef.efc.be

Ketevan Vashakidze is Country Director for Georgia of the Eurasia Partnership Foundation. Email kvashakidze@epfound.ge